Even though I’m waiting on a power transformer and some oversized components for the 6L6 SE-UL amp that doesn’t mean that all progress has come to a standstill. The new amp needs a chassis. And a new chassis means it’s lumber selection time.
Now unlike the complicated decisions for the 6AS7 SET, I have a pretty good idea what wood I want to use for the new 6L6 SE-UL chassis. This is what I have in mind.
This is the spalted alder I mentioned a little while ago. Here is a closer view of the larger pieces.
This wood is still just rough slabs, but it will look very unique when cut and planed to thickness. I like this particular wood for two reasons. The first is the wild color and grain variation highlighted by the spalting. I think that this will give an eye catching look to the chassis. The other reason is that this wood an I have a long history.
This wood comes from a log cutoff that served as an anvil stand in my workshop for about 20 years. In 2015, when I was moving my shop across country, I removed the anvil and gave the wood log to a friend for his wood pile. I figured I could get a new log to use as an anvil stand anywhere I went.
He took the log and placed the cutoff next to his wood pile butt end down on the bare earth. And there it sat, in the rain and weather, for several years. Then a couple of years ago while cutting wood, he decided to cut the round. When he sliced the log lengthwise with his chainsaw he saw the spalting. So he slabbed the log and set the pieces inside his wood shed to dry. I was unaware of any of this.
Now, I had moved back to the same small town I left only a couple years later in 2017. So about a year ago, my friend came to visit and showed me the wood he’d brought. When he explained where it had come from I knew that I needed a special project for these particular slabs. Well now I think I’ve found that project.
So what do people think of my choice? Do you think this will make a nice chassis for the 6L6 SE-UL? Please, let me know.
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This wood pattern is absolutely gorgeous !! If I were you I could not resist either Hehehe. Have you ever considered using the wood only on the 2 sides and bending down the top plate at 90* in order to make the front side & back ? Similar to a more 70’s-80’s design for amps. Drilling for connectors on front & back is easy in a metallic plate.
I’ve thought about what I like to call “the end cap look”, but the bottom line is that I just like the wood way to much. And it’s the wood on the front that really gets showcased. I thought about a couple of walnut end caps for the 12AU7 Color Preamp to give it a more finished look. However, I haven’t gotten around to it yet.
For those who don’t know, spalting is the result of fungal invasion by certain species of fungus. Beautiful, but not a good choice for structural pieces.
I used a slab of salted alder for a gift picture frame…… didn’t occur to me at the time it would make a striking chassis. I fully support this choice for the 6L6SE.